Resilient wheel.



J. PBONOVOST & H. S. MILLER.

RESILIENT WHEEL.

APILIGATION TILED MAB.

INVENTOR 5 Jose 1f; Pram zmr/ 517/775? Iarney J. PRONOVOST & H. S. MILLER. RESILIENT WHEEL.

APPLIOATIOH FILED MAR. 25, 1913.

1,074,064, Patented Sept. 23, 1913.

2 SHEETS-BEBE? 2. I

exact description JOSEPH PRONOVOST AND HIRAM S. MILLER, 0F HELENA, MONTANA.

RESILIENT WHEEL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 23, 1913.

' Application filed March 25, 1913. Serial No. 756,775.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, Josnrn Pnonovos'r and HIRAM S. MILLER, citizens of the United States, residing at Helena, in the county of Lewis and Clark and State of Montana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Resilient Wheels; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and

of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in resilient wheels and the object in view is to produce a simple and efficient wheel of this nature adapted to ease the stress on the chassis of a car and eliminating the necessity of pneumatic tires and at the same time affording means for eliminating heavy vibrations.

The invention comprises various details of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts which will be hereinafter fully described, shown in the accompanying drawings and then specifically defined in the appended claim.

We illustrate our invention in the accompanyine drawings, in which Figure 1 is a vertical central sectional view through a resilient wheel embodying the features of our invention. Fig. 2 is a sectional view on line 2-2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detail in elevation of a disk plate forming a part of the invention. Fig. 4 is an edge view of the detail illustrated in Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is an elevation of a second disk member with lateral projections. Fi 6 is an edge view of Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a detail perspective View of one of the spring members, and Fig. 8 is a detail perspective of a part of the invention.

Reference now being had to the details of the drawings by numerals, 1 designates thehub of the wheel and 2 the axle upon which the same is mounted.

3 designates a spoke plate having an annular rib 4, and 5 designate coiled springs, the inner ends of which are fastened to an annular rib 6 about the hub and their outer ends to said annular rib 4. Disk plates 7 having central openings 8 are held to the marginal edge of the spoke plate by means of bolts 9. Said disk plate 7 has a series of radially disposed wings 10, the inner ends of which are flush with the marginal edges of the openings 8 and their outer ends terminate a slight distance from the periphery of the disk of which they are an integral part. Circular-outlined disks 11 are fastened to the sides of the annular rib 6 by means of the bolts 12 and projecting from each disk 11 is a lug 13, a detail of which plate with its lugs is shown clearly in Fig. 5, the disk 11 having a central opening which fits about the hub in the manner shown clearly in Fig. 2.

Upon reference to Fig. 2 of the drawings, it will be noted that the lugs project at such distances from the face of the disk 11 as to clear the wings 10 which are integral with the disk 7. Said lugs have their outer peripheries flush with the marginal edge of the disk 11 and serve a purpose which will be presently described.

Substantially V-shaped springs, designated by numerals 14, a detail of one of which is shown in Fig. 7, are provided each with a roll 15 at one end through which a pivotal pin 16' passes which connects the same to the disk 11. It will be noted 11 )on reference to Fig. 1 of the drawings that the springs 1e are arranged in pairs, two of the springs being positioned between each pair of the wings 10, and it will *ulso be noticed that one end of each spring is free and normally bears frictionally against the other disks 22, having central openings, are fastened to the opposite sides of the rib 4 upon the spoke plate and against which disks 22 the disks 11 have sliding contact and form housings for the springs 5. Disks 22*, having central openings to receive the hub, are fastened to the outer faces of the rings 23 which surround the hub and retained by means of bolts 12 and have sliding contact with the outer faces of the disks 7.. A shell 27 is held by means of bolts 9 near its marginal edge to the spoke plate, and to which the outer ends of the'brackets 26 are fastened, the inner ends of which brackets are secured to the adjacent disk 22*. Upon the opposite side of the wheel is fastened a shell 28, being held by means of bolts 9 to the spoke plate and serves as a means to prevent foreign matter from coming in contactwith the interior parts of the wheel.

In operation, when the wheel is mounted upon the axle of a car and the wheels not Q novaoee of springs which are opposite each other horizontally will come in contact with the upper faces of the wings 10 underneath the same and will be under the greatest tension, while the lower spring ofthe pairs immediately underneath will bear friction-r1115 against the next wings 10 below. As the disks 11 move downward with the hub, the lugs 13 thereon will engage the free end of the upper of each pair of springs which are opposite each other horizontally and the upper of the springs of each pair above and below, preventing the upper of each pair of springs from exerting its tension against the under surfaces of the Wings 10. As the wheel revolves, the weight of the car will be evenly divided among the several pairs of springs by virtue of the rapidly shifting centers of gravity, thus causing the center of the hub to gradually coincide with the true center of the wheel. The greater the speed of the wheel, the closer the centers will coincide. It will be noted that said springs 14 and the plates carrying the lugs and wings having relation with one another that, when power is suddenly applied in either direction, the springs 12 will move until met by the springs 10 when the springs will be compressed, absorbing excessive strains between the transmission and the ground. This arrangement of the springs 14 and cooperating parts would. have a spring effect analogous to the circumferentially disposed springs 5 in that, when the weight is applied, the springs 14 will sli and bend downward until they come in contact with the inner edge of the plate .3.

It will be noted that, when the wheel is at rest and the parts are in their normal positions, the lugs 13 will be in line with the wheel but, when torque is applied,the free ends of the springs 14 will come in contact with the w ngs 10, immediately in front of the same, while the lugs will serve as stops to keep the idle spring from exerting a counter pressure upon the immediately following spring. Were it not for this arran ement of the action of the spring 14 and t e cooperatin parts, the idle springs would open an cause a counter pressure upon the wings behind it, thus taking power from the working spring to the extent of the opening strength of the opening spring.

What we claim to be new is A resilient wheel comprisin a hub and a s oke plate, springs interme iate said hub and plate, a disk fastened to the hub and provided with a series of radially disposed lugs with their outer edges flush with the peripheries thereof, ll-shaped springs arranged in pairs with their adjacent ends fastened to said disk and each having a free end, said free ends positionedi one upon either side of one of said lugs, a disk fastened to the spoke plate and. rovided with a central opening and radia wings pro.- jecting from the face thereof and each adapted to have a movement between the free ends of said springs which are arranged in pairs, said wings designed to have a free movement without interference from said lugs, overlapping disks fastened to the op-- posite edges of said spoke plate and to the hub and cooperating with the other disks to form casings for the springs, as set forth.

In testimony whereof we hereunto atfix our signatures in the presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH PRONOVOST. HIRAM S. MILLER.

Witnesses HERMAN WIEsE, IKE Wow. 

